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20/07/2014

Summer crafting: Apron - free sewing pattern

Hi!

I would like to share with you a pattern for this apron. It is about a size L, but to be honest, I am just guessing.

This is my first ever sewing pattern, so please, be patient with me if I am not perfect - but I will never get better if I don't start somewhere, right?

I didn't have the courage to make a pdf version of my pattern (also, I thought I want to use my time for other things rather than learning this) so I am going to talk you through the steps of making your own pattern. Please, don't run away in panic, it is really simple, and the result is going to be cute.

Today I am giving you the pattern, tomorrow the instructions on how to sew the apron.

IMPORTANT: the pattern does not contain seam allowance, don't forget to add it later. You will need 2 cm all around! I usually just add it as I am cutting, but perhaps I should start adding it on paper, to be more precise.

Anyway,you will need:

- pattern paper (I use Ikea's drawing paper roll for children, cheap and good. But you could use some newspaper or
brown wrapping paper, whatever you have at hand.)

- paper scissors

- ruler (I use a quilting ruler, it is perfect for drawing perpendicular lines, but if you don't have that, a straight
ruler and a triangle one is just as good.)

- pencil, eraser, pen

First we are going to draw the middle of the apron.

For this, you need to draw a straight line at the paper's edge. (If you are more comfortable to adding the seam allowance to the paper pattern, draw this line 2 cm from the edge!) I started at the top of my paper, see the pictures.

The line should be 65 cm long. Mark a point 21 cm from the left end, so basically you divided your line into a 21 and a 44 cm long piece.

Draw perpendicular (straight angle, 90 degrees) lines from three points on this line: at the beginning, mark 13 cm down this line, at the 21 cm-point, mark 10 cm on this line, and finally at the end, mark 14 cm on this line.

Here is what it will look like now. Sorry for the bad picture, I hope you will see what I mean. Please, believe me when I say that the lines are at a straight angle to the first one, in the picture, because of the camera angle, it does not look like it. :(

Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Now connect the ends of the lines. I took pictures of the left side (this will be the apron's top) and the right side (the bottom) separately, hopefully this will give you a better idea.

Left side (top):

Right side (bottom):

Mark your pattern piece as you see in the picture: the first line we drew will be the FOLD line. Label your pattern: write that this is the middle part of the apron, and you need to cut one piece on the fold.

This part is ready, only if you want to, add 2 cm seam allowance all around. Then you can cut it out.

Now comes the side part of the apron.

We start with a straight line again, at the paper's straight edge (I drew it on the other side of the same piece of paper), this needs to be 43,5 cm long.
Draw two perpendicular lines at the two ends: one needs to be 20 cm, the other 30 cm long.
It is almost ready, I just like to add a few curves so the apron looks better, but if you want to simplify things, you can just go ahead and work with the straight lines, it would work.

To add a curve at the 20 cm side, do this: measure 5 cm back from the 20 cm mark. Then draw a short line at the 20 cm mark towards the left, and mark 2 cm on it. Connect these two points with a slightly curving line. I hope the picture will help with it.

To add a curve to the 30 cm side, mark the middle of the line (15 cm), draw a short line to the right, and mark 2 cm on it. Connect this point to the two ends with a slight curve. I drew a few pencil lines before I got it right, then used a pen to redraw the best version and erased the rest. Don't fret about it, it does not have to be perfect. (But if you have a French curve ruler, which I don't, you can draw this probably much better.) Connect the ends with a ruler.

This is what you will get:

Label your piece, if you prefer, add the sewing allowance, 2 cm all along, and cut out 2 pieces.

IMPORTANT: when you cut out two pieces, make sure they are mirror images of each other! The easiest way to do this is to fold your fabric in half, pin the pattern on top and cut the two pieces at the same time. They will be the exact same measurements but facing each other. This is what we want.

Next: we are join to draw the pockets.

Draw a rectangle that 20 cm by 15 cm.

On the bottom line measure 4 cm from the left end to the right and connect this point to the left upper corner.
On the right side, find the middle of the 15 cm line (7,5 cm), draw a line to the right, mark 1,5 cm and connect this point with the ends of the line in a curve, the same way we did before.

This is what you will get. I marked the cutting line with red (unless you want to add the sewing allowance to your pattern, in that case this is the sewing line.

We will need two pieces of this, too, mirror images again.

We also need some ties for our apron. You will to cut two rectangles that are 60 x 9 cm for the neck ties, and two rectangles 80 x 9 cm for the waist. (This length is enough so that you can tie your apron in the back, the way we do in Hungary. However, if you prefer to bring it to the front and tie it there, like they often do it in Sweden, make it longer - just measure with a measuring tape.)

I haven't drawn this on paper, I just cut them from the fabric with a rotary cutter. If you prefer, please, draw the rectangles on paper and cut them out. You don't need sewing allowance for these.

Now your pattern is ready, find some lovely fabric and wait until tomorrow when I will walk you through the sewing process.

Please, let me know if there is anything that is not easy to understand and I will try to clarify.